In the third episode of Season 2 of Joe Pickett, the mystery surrounding Frank’s murder starts to unravel. While Marybeth seeks closure from other sources, Joe finds himself in conflict with a new cult leader in town.

The episode begins with the introduction of Klamath Moore, a hunting activist who disrupts a Hunting Award ceremony by pouring blood on the winner. Klamath is known for sharing such incidents with his millions of social media followers. The Governor briefs the team on the urgency of solving Frank’s murder before Klamath and his followers cause chaos in town.

Deputy McLanahan’s disagreement with the Governor leads to his dismissal, and Sheriff Barnum stands up for him but faces the same fate.

Joe starts investigating Frank’s case by speaking with his wife, Blair, and his nephew, Chris, who was on the hunting trip with him. Chris doesn’t provide much new information, except that they split up during the trip and regret it.

Meanwhile, a young girl named Marissa Left Hand has gone missing, and her father, Charlie, has been searching for her for four weeks. Marybeth takes an interest in the case but discovers that neither the local sheriff nor the tribe are taking action because it falls outside their jurisdiction. Frustrated, she visits the sheriff’s office for answers but receives no help from Deputy McLanahan.

Marybeth’s investigation of Marissa’s abandoned car strengthens her suspicion of foul play. She visits Charlie to offer her assistance in finding his daughter, but her attempt to involve Cricket proves unsuccessful, leaving Charlie disappointed.

Nate provides a tip about illegal hunting activities, urging Joe to contact the game warden. When Joe arrives at the scene, Nate warns him that a group of people is after him, possibly intending to use Joe as bait.

While sorting through old case files with Luke, Joe discovers two incidents where individuals accidentally shot and killed themselves. Strangely, the pictures reveal that the same poker chip found near Frank’s body was present in these cases as well. Joe concludes that it was not an isolated incident but the work of a serial killer.

In the ending of Episode 3, Klamath arrives in Saddlestring and delivers a speech exposing the town’s alleged cover-up of a hunter’s death. Joe intervenes by shutting down Klamath’s screens displaying Frank’s dead body. As a result, members of the cult attack Joe. The episode concludes with Sheridan witnessing Joe’s injured state on the ground.